Box magazine for firearms



Dec, 9, i943. F. L. HuMEsToN BOX MAGAZINE FOR FIREARMS Filed Dec. 28, 1938 Patented Dec. 9, 1941 TES .Tar oe-rice BGX MAGAZINE FOR FIREARMS Application December 28, 1338, Serial No. 248,076

6 Claims. '(Cl. L12-'50) This inventionV relates to ani improvement in magazines for firearms. and more particularly to the type of. magazines commonly known as boX- magazines.

'One of the objects of the. present invention is to provide a superior.V box-magazine characterizedv by'simpli'city of. construction and ease of assembly anddisassembly.

A `further object of the present invention is to provide a superior box-magazine soconstructed and arranged that. the .interior elements, such as the follower and follower-spring, may be readily removed-for replacement, repair, or salvaged 4in the. event 'that the magazine-body itself becomes so badly injured asv to be4 useless.

.Another object ofathepresent invention is to provide .a superior boxfmagazine construction wherein 'the bottomfplate is removable and wherein. the follower-spring dischargesthe function of normally maintaining thesadbOttOmplate in its lockedposition.

With the above and other objects in viewfas will. appear to those skilled in the. art. from the present disclosure, this invention includes all features the said .disclosure which .areA novelover thepriorart and which are not claimed. in any separate application.

In-the accompanying drawing, in which. certain modes of carrying. out thepresent invention are shown forillustrative purposes:

Fig. 1- is-a .view in vertical central. sectionofa box-'magazine embodying the presentinvention; Fig. 2 is a. transverse Sectional view taken on the line22 of Fig. 1;

Fig.- 3 Lisa broken view in vertical section.` taken on the line 3-3,of Fig-1;

Fig. 4- is afviewy partly in side-elevation and partly in vertical central section of the` boxmagazine showing the bottom-plate tilted into its'unlocked position. preparatory to its rearwardf withdrawal as indicate'dfin broken lines;

Fig;v 5 is a perspective view ofthe bottom-plate; and

Eig. 61 is a perspectivelview of the magazinebody' viewingy the saineA mainlyy .from the under- -l present the said cartridges.V I3 so that the uppermost thereof. may. be removed for insertion into the cartridge chamber of the rearm by the. usual firearm-mechanism not herein requiring description.

The bottom reach of the follower-spring I2 rests. upon a sheet-metal bottom-plate I Land, under all normal operating conditions, serves to maintain the said bottom-plate -seated 'against the respective upper. faces of complemental supporting-flanges or lips -I 5-I5 respectively projecting` inwardly from the spaced-apart sidewalls I6-IS of the magazine-body I0. Thesupporting-flanges or lips I5-I5 are, as shown, interrupted about vmidway of their length for a distance corresponding substantially to the extent of an inwardly-tapering portion IBa-Ia of the said side-walls I I-IS of the magazine-body IIJ.

In addition to -pressing thel bottom-plate I4 downwardly against the supporting-danges or lips l5-4I5, the follower-spring I2-alsoserves to seat the under-face ofthe forward portion ofthe said bottom-plate. I4 against a supporting-flange or lip I'I. integral with and extending rearwardly from the front-endv wall. I3 of the saidmagazinebody I D. The rear-end-wall I9 of the magazinebody II! is, in the instance shown, constitutedbtT theterminal portions of apieceof. sheet-metal whichis folded up to'provide the complemental side-walls Iii-i6 and the front-end wall I 8,. and which is lock-seamed as atZIlabout midway the width of thesaid rear-end wally kI9 as is clearly indicated in the.v drawing.

Thesupporting-anges or lips I 5-I5 terminate short of the adjacent forward face of the rear-end wally I9 of the'magazine-body Ill to provide, what for convenience of descriptionNmay be conveniently termed, releasing-gaps 2I-2I through which the bottom-plateA I4 may be removed and installedk in a manner as will more fully hereinafter appear.

The particular box-magazine `herein chosen for illustration has the rear-end wall I9. of the magazine-body'lilterminating a distance above the upper faces of the supporting-flangesvor lips I5- I5, a distance substantially-corresponding to the thickness of the bottom-plate I4, which thereby, under normal conditions, is enabled toextend rearwardlyand underlie thelower edge of the rearwall I9 oneach of the respective opposite sides of the lock-seam. 20. therein.

To guard againstithe inadvertent or unintentional rearward displacementof the bottom-plate I4 with respect to the magazine-body I0, thesaid bottom-plate i4 has its central rear portion bent or deflected upwardly to provide a stop-abutment cr stop-nger 22 which. is normally in engagement with the forward face -of the rear-end wall IS of the said magazine-body I0 which rear-end wall thereby constitutes astop-abutment, as is indicated particularly well in Fig. 1. In this manner the bottom-platey I4 is prevented from being unintentionallydisplaced `rearwardly by the engagement of its stop-finger 22 with the rear wall' I9 of the magazine-body II] and, similarly, is guarded again-st inadvertent forward movement by the interposition of the front-end wall I8 in its path of movement in the direction last referred to.

Normally, and as shown in Figs. l, 2 and 3, the bottom-plate I4 is held seated against the respective upper `faces of the supporting-flanges or lips Iii-I5 and I1 by the follower-spring I2, and is retained in place against longitudinal movement, as before described, by the frontend and rear-end walls I8 and I9. If now, for any reason, it should become desirable or necessary to remove either or both the cartridgefollower II and the follower-spring I2 all that will be necessary to initiate this removal operation, is for the user -to thrust upwardly against continued until the stop-finger 22 assumes a popermit the follower-spring I2 to force the said bottom-plate into its normal seated position against the .supporting-anges I5-I5 and I1,

and also act to raise the stop-finger 22 of the -r bottom-plate so that it is in position for engagement withthefront face of the rear-end wall I9 should any rearward sliding movement be applied thereto.

By means of a construction and arrangement of parts as exemplified in the accompanying drawing and in the foregoing description, not

- only is the initial assembly of the box-magazine the forward portion of the bottom-plate I4 to tilt'the same into the position in which it is shown by full linesin Fig.- 4.

The tilting movement of the bottom-plate I4,

wall I9 of the magazine-body. Iii, as is clearlv shown in Fig. 4.

If now, while ythe bottom-plate I4, is held in the inclinedk position .in `whichit is shown by fully lines in Fig. 4, the said bottom-plate is movedk slightly' rearwardly, its stop-finger 22 will be brought into position rearwardly of the lockseam 2B in the rear wall I 9 of the magazinebody I, and thereafter the upward tension upon the forward end of the said bottom-plate may be released and the said bottom-plate permitted to descend upon the upper faces of the supportingflanges I5-I'5 under the urge of the followerspring I2.

When the bottom-plate I4 has been brought into the position just above described, it may now be freely withdrawn rearwardly in substantial parallelism with the supporting-flanges IE5-I 5 as indicated by the broken lines in Fig. Ultimately the continued rearward movement referred to will effect the complete withdrawal. of the said bottom-plate.

When the bottom-plate It is completely separated from the magazine-body IE! as above described` the follower-spring I2 as well as the cartridge-follower II may be removed through the now open bottom-end of the said magazinebody Iii and inspected and repaired if necessary.

In initially assembling the box-magazine, or in reassembling the same after the removal of its follower-spring and cartridge-follower, all that is necessary is to first install the cartridgefollower II and the follower-spring l2 and then insert the forward end of the bottom-plate IG. through the releasing-gaps 2I-2 l. When, in the installation of the bottom-plate I4, its stopnger 22 checks its forward movement by engaging with the rear face of the lock-seam 25 in the rear-end wall I9, it will then become necessary to tilt the said bottom-plate in a manner indicated by the full lines in Fig. 4. The forward movement of the bottom-plate should now be `moval and inspection is particularly valuable in facilitated and the cost thereof minimized, but

it becomes convenient and economical to remove the follower and-follower-spring from the'magaf zine-body in the event that the said magazine-` body should be injured beyond use or in the event that the follower-spring or cartridge-follower requires adjustment or repair. The readily permitted salvage of interior parts and their reconnection with military irearms though, of

' course, not so limited.

equivalency range of the appended claims-are -r intended to rbe embraced therein.

- -I claim:

1. A box-magazine for firearms, comprising:

a magazine-body provided at its bottom with "bottom-plate-supporting means and with a releasing-gap leading from the said magazine-body and opening angularly with respect thereto, the said magazine-body also including a stop-abutment portion above the outer end of the angularly-opening releasing-gap; a removable bottom-plate extending in the said releasing-gap and provided with a stop-abutment releasablyengageable with the stop-abutment portion above the outer end of the angularly opening releasing gap of the said magazine-body for releasably retaining said bottom-plate in place; a cartridge-follower within the said magazine-body; and a follower-spring interposed between the said cartridge-follower and the said removable bottom-plate to yieldingly urge the same respectively in opposite directions and to seat the said bottom-plate against the said bottomplate-supporting means of the said magazinebody; the said parts being constructed and arranged so that inward pressure upon one portion of the said bottom-plate will tilt the latter against the tension of the said follower-spring to clear its stop-abutment from the stop-abutment of the said magazine-body and thereby permit the withdrawal of the said bottom-plate by sliding movement through the angularly opening releasing-gap in the said magazine-body.

2. A box-magazine for firearms, comprising: a magazine-body provided at its bottom with plate-supporting means inwardly projecting from a plurality of the walls thereof and spaced from another wall thereof a distance sufficient to provide a releasing-gap; leading from the said magazine body and opening angularly with respect thereto a removable bottom-plate extending in the said releasing-gap and provided with a stopabutrnent releasably engageable with one of the walls of the said magazine-body for releasably retaining said bottom-plate in place; a cartridgefollower within said magazine-body; and a iollower-spring interposed between the said cartridge-follower and the said removable bottomplate to yieldingly seat the latter against the inwardly-projecting plate-supporting means oi the said magazine-body; the said parts being constructed and arranged so that inward pressure upon one portion of the said bottom-plate will tilt the latter against the tension of the said follower-spring to clear its stop-abutment from the adjacent wall of the said magazine-body and thereby permit the withdrawal of the said bottom-plate by sliding movement through the angularly opening releasing-gap in the said magazine-body.

3. A box-magazine for firearms, comprising: a magazine-body of substantially rectangular form in cross section and provided with sidewalls having oppositely-projecting inwardlyextending plate-supporting flanges terminating short of one end-wall of the magazine-body a distance sucient to provide a releasing-gap leading from the plate-supporting iianges at the sides oi the said magazine-body and opening from the latter angularly with respect thereto; a removable bottom-plate extending in the said releasing-gap and provided with a stop-abutment releasably engageable with the said end-wall of the magazine-body for releasably retaining the said bottom-plate in place in the said magazine-body; a cartridge-follower within the said magazine-body; and a followerspring interposed between the said cartridgeiollower and the said removable bottom-plate to yieldingly seat the latter against the said inwardly-projecting plate-supporting anges of the said magazine-body; the said parts being constructed and arranged so that inward pressure upon a portion of the bottom-plate remote from the releasing-gap of the said magazinebody will tilt the said bottom-plate against the tension of the said follower-spring to clear the said stop-abutment from the said adjacent endwall and thereby permit the withdrawal of the said bottom-plate by sliding movement through the angularly opening releasing-gap in the said magazine-body.

4. A box-magazine for rearms, comprising: a magazine-body provided at its bottom with bottom-plate-supporting means and with a releasing-gap leading from the said magazinebody and opening angularly with respect thereto, the said magazine-body also including a stopabutment portion above the outer end of the angularly-opening releasing-gap; a removable bottom-plate formed of sheet-metal, the said bottom-plate extending in the said releasing-gap and having an angularly related portion adjacent one end bent upwardly to provide a stop-iinger releasably engageable with the stop-abutment portion above the outer end of the angularlyopening releasing-gap of the said magazine-body for releasably retaining said bottom-plate in place therein; a cartridge-follower within the said magazine-body; and a follower-spring interposed between the said cartridge-follower and the said removable bottom-plate to yieldingly seat the latter against the bottom-platesupporting means of the said magazine-body;

Cri

the said parts being constructed and arranged so that inward pressure upon a portion of the said bottom-plate will tilt the latter against the tension of the said follower-spring and thereby clear its integral stop-finger from the said stopabutment and thereby permit the withdrawal of the said bottom-plate by sliding movement through the angularly opening releasing-gap in the said magazine-body.

5. A box-magazine for firearms, comprising: a magazine-body of substantially-rectangular form in cross-section and provided with sidewalls having oppositely-projecting inwardly-extending plate-supporting flanges terminating short of one end-wall of the magazine-body a distance sufcient to provide a releasing-gap; leading from the plate-supporting flanges at the sides of the said magazine-body and opening from the latter angularly with respect thereto a removable bottom-plate extending in the said releasing-gap and provided with an integral angularly reiated stop-iinger releasably engaging with the end-wall of the magazine-body, for releasably retaining the said bottom-plate in place; a cartridge-follower within the said magazinebody; and a follower-spring interposed between the said cartridge-follower and the said removable bottom-plate to yieldingly seat the latter against the inwardly-projecting plate-supporting flanges of the said magazine-body; the said parts being constructed and arranged so that inward pressure upon a portion of the bottomplate will tilt the said bottom-plate against the tension ci the said follower-spring to clear the angularly related integral stop-finger of the said bottom-plate from the adjacent end-wall of the said magazine-body, and thereby permit the withdrawal of the said bottom-plate through the angularly opening releasing-gap in the said magazine-body.

6. A box-magazine for firearms, comprising: a magazine-body of substantially-rectangular form in cross section and provided with sidewalls having inwardly-extending plate-supporting iianges extending but partway the lengths of the said side-walls, an adjacent end-wall of the magazine-body terminating at a point above the plane of the inwardly-extending plate-supporting anges of the said side-walls a distance sufficient to accommodate a bottom-plate, the relation of the side-walls and the end-wall with respect to each other providing a releasing-gap opening angularly from the said magazine-body; a removable bottom-plate provided with a stopabutment releasably engageable with a portion of the said magazine-body to releasably hold the said bottom-plate in place therein, one end of the said bottom-plate extending through the said releasing-gap and beneath the said end-wall which terminates above the plane of the said plate-supporting flanges; a cartridge-follower within the said magazine-body; and a followerspring interposed between the said cartridgefollower and the said removable bottom-plate to yieldingly seat the latter against the said platesupporting anges; the said parts being constructed and arranged so that inward pressure upon a portion of the bottom-plate will tilt the said bottom-plate against the tension of the said follower-spring to clear the said stop-abutment from the said adjacent end-well and thereby permit the withdrawal of the said bottom-plate through the angularly opening releasing-gap in the said magazine-body.

FREDERICK L. HUMESTON. 

